Puerto Vallarta Destination Wedding | Olivia + Daniel

A blend of Olivia’s Louisiana heritage and Daniel’s Mexican roots, this Puerto Vallarta wedding was one for the books. Instead of celebrating on the beach, these two lovebirds took it to the jungle, where a tent draped in lush flowers and chandeliers set the scene for romance. That vibe is one that comes naturally to this darling duo – after reading their story, you’ll see exactly what we mean. That is, if you can tear your eyes away from their gorgeous pictures below!

How did Daniel propose?

“Daniel surprised me the day before my birthday (November 21st, 2015). We had planned on going to dinner with a group of our friends and he asked if we could do something just the two of us before we met up with everyone. I had no idea what he had planned, and as he started driving I realized we were going to one of my favorite places, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. They had a special exhibit called The 12 Nights Before Christmas that we walked around and looked at, and at each night Daniel gave me a card. It was incredibly sweet, and as soon as we got to the first night I thought, “Oh my goodness, is this what I think it is?” It was a pretty cold afternoon and I was dressed in heels and dress for dinner, so you can only imagine my anticipation upon arriving to the 12th day before Christmas. When we got there, he handed me a very sweet card, and said he had a gift for me in the car.

As we walked to the car, I realized that Daniel had planned this special thing just for my birthday. We left the arboretum and Daniel said we had time to grab a drink before meeting our friends. We went to Savor at Klyde Warren Park. When we arrived, the hostess said our table wasn’t quite ready, and Daniel suggested we walk around the park. My poor feet had their fill of walking at that point, but I hesitantly obliged. The Nasher Sculpture Garden is near the park and Daniel suggested we walk there. As we approached, I could see through the trees that they were set up for a wedding with beautiful lights strung across the gardens, etc, and told him we should go back to the restaurant because they would not let us in. He continued walking saying, “Let’s just see.” I could not for the life of me understand why we were going to crash someone’s wedding.

When we got to the front, Daniel asked the security guard if we could peek in, and he said Yes! I thought – What?? This man is going to get fired! I nervously walked in and a few steps into the gardens said, “I really think we should go. We shouldn’t be at someone else’s wedding.” Daniel said let’s just look really quick. It was stunning and we walked around quickly until we got to this one tree, and Daniel said, “What’s in that tree?” I looked up and saw a card with my name on it and froze – I couldn’t speak. He started laughing and said, “Does that card have your name on it? What does it say?” He grabbed the card and handed it to me because at the moment I was in shock. I opened it and read the kindest, sweetest message about our future and looked up to see him down on one knee. It was the happiest day of my life!

How did you choose your gown?

“I had gone to several wedding boutiques in Dallas, TX in hopes of finding a sweetheart, full-lace, trumpet-style gown. I wasn’t having much luck until I went to Bridal Boutique in Lewisville. Candace at Bridal Boutique was so patient and kind and brought several options for me to try on. She realized that my perfect gown was a combination of two Lea-Ann Belter gowns, the trumpet style from one, and the full lace from the other. I didn’t even think that was possible! She called Lea-Ann Belter as I said a few prayers, and few minutes later I was ordering my custom dress. I was so incredibly pleased with the way everything turned out. My dress was everything I had hoped for.”

Tell us about your day! Did you have a theme or style in mind?

“We wanted our guests to really enjoy themselves for the weekend of our wedding, so that’s why we chose Puerto Vallarta for our destination wedding. Garza Blanca Preserve Spa and Resort was an absolute dream! Our guests were able to enjoy the gorgeous beaches of Puerto Vallarta as well as amazing quaint town. The only things we wanted to incorporate on our wedding day were something that represented my husband’s Mexican heritage and my Louisiana heritage. We decided to get married in a beautiful, authentic Mexican church close to the resort, which was transformed with gorgeous white flowers and fabric by MDesigns. After our mass, all of our guests went to the panoramic pool at Garza Blanca for a cocktail hour and were able to enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a Mariachi band, and a stunning Puerto Vallarta sunset. Because the jungle preserve in this area of Puerto Vallarta is so gorgeous, we decided to give our guests a few of something a little different than the beach for our reception. Following the cocktail hour, our guests took trolleys up to the top of the preserve where an area of the jungle was transformed into a romantic paradise. The beauty of the jungle was incorporated into this stunning reception complete with a huge white tent, chandeliers, candles and stunning white and blush flowers, as well as fabulous jazz band.”

Five words that best describe your sweetie:

“My husband is the most loving, hardworking, generous, and funny person I know! I am so lucky because he really did work so hard on our wedding and ensuring everything went perfect. I absolutely would not have been able to do this without him.”

Any advice for future brides/grooms?

“From the moment we arrived in Puerto Vallarta we enjoyed every single second of our wedding weekend. It was truly such an amazing weekend to have our closest friends and family come all the way to Mexico to celebrate with us. My advice is to enjoy every second.”

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

“We were so excited to go to Bali, Lombock, the Gili Islands, and Hong Kong for our honeymoon. It was an absolute paradise! We spent time in the jungle, at the beach, and exploring a huge city. It was a perfect honeymoon!”